Music Education as an Alternative Paradigm to Youth Empowerment: Evidence from Tertiary Institutions in South West of Nigeria

Music education has been an integral part of national economic empowerment and development strategies in industrialized and developed nations globally, due to its impact on productivity, sustainability and economic development. However, the harness of youth‘s potentials through music education has not accelerated economic development in Nigeria. The study, therefore, seeks to investigate the impact of music education on youth empowerment. Purposive sample technique was adopted to select 10 academic staff members each from the five tertiary institutions that offering music education, totaling 50 participants as a sample size for the study. A structured questionnaire designed for the study was used to collect relevant information from the study’s participants. Data analysis was performed with the aid of mean, standard deviation and linear regression. The study establishes that music education is a driving force of youth empowerment. The study also confirms that inadequate funding of education and the poor state of infrastructural facilities are the major challenges that crippled music education in Nigeria. Subsequently, the study recommends that government, non-government organizations, renowned professional musicians and private investors should invest especially in music education. This will go a long way to empower young graduates with an array of skills for sustainable development.